The Lost West Prince
by chaneldancegrl
Summary: Wally can't remember his childhood before he was brought to the orphanage when he was 10. His only clue is a pocket watch chain with complicated scientific equations and a key that says "Together in Central." 8 years later he runs into con artists Artemis and Zatanna hoping to find the lost heir to the West throne and find Wally instead. Anastasia AU. Random drabbles. Spitfire
1. I was the servant girl

**The Lost West Prince**

**A/N: A series of short drabbles in miscellaneous order that will be updated periodically and hopefully more often than my other works since they'll be shorter. I already have some specific scenes for this AU outlined, but feel free to leave requests for specific scenes from the Anastasia 1997 film. And as always, reviews and constrictive criticism is welcome.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or Anastasia. This is purely for fun and as a prompt from a friend.**

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**Scene: Outside the steps of the ballet**

Artemis still couldn't get over yesterday's interrogation. If she hadn't been in the same room same room as him as he recalled a long lost, strange memory that only three people in the world shared: a servant girl opening a secret door for a frightened Duke Allen and a young Grand Duke Wallace West to escape communist rioters and soldiers. Artemis absentmindedly rubbed the spot on her head where a solider had knocked her out with the butt of his rifle after she put up a fight.

That cocky, infuriatingly stubborn boy with intelligent green eyes, a playful dusting of freckles across his face, and a cheesy grin wasn't just a pawn in their con anymore. Her-_their_ Wally, was Wallace West, the Grand Duke of Central. He wasn't _just_ the lost boy they found running around the old palace, not _just_ the boy she got dizzy dancing with, and not _just_ the boy she held as he struggled through his nightmares. He was a real prince. _How could you be so naïve?_ She reprimanded herself_. Dreaming about a possible future with him, wealthy or not. His name was Wally, after all! That's not a big jump from Wallace, no matter how many Wallaces were around after his rumored survival. And then there were his lost childhood memories._ Her fingers clenched as she grew increasingly frustrated with herself.

"Will you relax? You're making a groove in the floor with all that pacing. Wally's going to be fine. He nailed the interview with Dick and we have the pocket watch. Everyone's going to think he's the prince, even Duke and Duchess Allen," comforted Zatanna. "He'll be fine."

"Of course he'll be fine. That's not what I'm worried about at all," replied Artemis, feeling suddenly tired from the rush of emotions coursing through her veins.

"Good. He put up a good performance, even by my standards, especially with that last question. Dick always liked to play detective with hard questions like that."

"No, you don't understand," she said, shaking her head at Zatanna's ignorance. Artemis usually didn't enjoy talking about her life in the palace. Her father had a tight hold on her back then, making sure she showed up for palace work and stole what she could. Whenever she returned to the room empty handed, he was always there to physically remind her of her place. Unfortunately this happened a lot, especially since she loved sneaking off and watching the splendor of the royals and wealthy. If it weren't for the revolution, her family would be fired for all the rules they broke. But it was her position as a servant and skills for sneaking around that saved lives that fateful night. "I was the girl in the palace, the one who opened the wall," Artemis finally explained, leaning close to her friend. "He's the real thing, Z."

Zatanna's confused face brightened in amazement. Artemis could tell she was doing the math of all the unexplained times Wally had known something about the royal family that they hadn't taught him, how quickly he had picked up their royal teachings, or his age and appearance. There was no way to deny it. "That means, Wally's found his family. We found the heir to the Central throne!" Zatanna said gleefully, hugging Artemis. "And he has the gall to declare magic isn't real!" Then Zatanna looked at Artemis with a knowing twinkle in her eye, "and that means you-"

"Will walk out of his life forever," she replied determinedly. She had made her decision. Artemis was not going to let this news affect her. _I'm better than this, I'm a professional. It's for his own good anyway._

Zatanna tried to stop her from shutting herself away, but Artemis cut her off again, "Princes don't marry kitchen girls." She wondered if her smile looked as forced and as sad outwardly as it felt inside. _That's just how life is_. _People like me don't get to think otherwise_. _It's just a childish dream_. The blonde turned away, Wally was supposed to arrive any second and she didn't want him to hear just yet. That man was always late, maybe now she could selfishly count it as a blessing.

"Don't be ridic-" Zatanna started.

"We're going to go through through with this as if nothing has changed," Artemis finally said.

Zatanna moved in front of her friend, not backing down and firmly stating, "You have to tell him." Whether it was about her feelings for Wally or his true heritage, Artemis would never know. But with her best friend, Artemis had a feeling it was both.

"Tell me what?" piped a familiar masculine voice from behind them.

Artemis turned to greet Wally, and was temporarily shocked by his appearance. It's amazing what a suit can do to man. The black evening jacket fit him in all the right places, showing off his lean and tall form. The tuxedo's dark coloring made his red hair and green eyes more vivid and alive. Grand Duke or not, he was sure to catch everyone's eye before the ballet. Then he just _had_ to give her a soft shy smile, as if waiting for her approval on his new "royal" look. The formerly suppressed ache at the thought of saying goodbye to him pressed on her chest again. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"That you look handsome tonight," she replied simply before noticing the limp cloth tied around his neck. "Except you still can't figure out a bowtie." She stepped up to him, carefully undoing his attempt. Artemis focused on retying it into a perky, professional bow, trying to ignore the heat and excitement radiating from him. He also smelled a lot better than she was used to from their travels. _Damnit, why did he have to make everything so hard?_

Wally's grin widened, his eyes boring into hers with a mix of nervousness, hope, and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. "Thanks, you clean up nice too, beautiful."

Despite her previous misgivings, a grin crept its way over Artemis' face as he held out an arm to her. Here she was at the ballet with her best friend (she decided to ignore her friend's current raised eyebrow), dressed in a gorgeous emerald green gown (at the insistence of Richard Grayson), escorted by a joyful gentleman who also happened to be a prince; she had what most girls dreamed of. And a part of her always dreamed of this easy life of luxurious events and dresses. A life where her biggest problem wasn't worrying about having money for food or shelter. Then Wally West stumbled into her life a naïve and silly man that had charmed her. But now, he had a chance of reunion with a family who loved him and suddenly the reward money didn't seem so important anymore. Artemis Crock had always been so sure of what she wanted, but when it came to Wally, she didn't know anymore.

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	2. Everything's going to be fine

**Chapter 2: "Everything's going to be fine."/ "You lied to me!"**

A/N: Told in Wally and Artemis' pov. I also currently have 2 or 3 more scenes in mind (after requests) but if anyone requests another scene that inspires me I'm happy to write more. Constructive criticism/ review is also welcomed.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable.

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Wally was practically vibrating with nervous energy as he escorted Artemis to their box seats with Richard Grayson and Zatanna following them. He couldn't believe it; he was actually going to meet the Duke and Duchess Allens, his possible family. Family that had might have spent eight years looking for _him_, family who might have once loved him. It definitely didn't hurt that they were royal that would mean he was Wallace West, the lost prince of Central.

Thanks to Artemis's and Zatanna's help, he had gotten through the interview. He even stumbled through that last bizarre question Richard threw at him about escaping the palace, because how would he know? The only people who really knew what happened were the two or three people who were there. What a dick, pun totally intended. But Wally didn't give a fake answer, he had been as truthful as possible remembering a blonde little girl whisper-yelling at him to go through a wall. That had to mean something right?

Maybe it meant no more sleeping on the floor. No more surviving on food scraps. He'd have a family who'd love and take care of him. He'd have clothes. He wouldn't have to worry about having basic necessities ever again. Granted there was the whole, "ruling" thing, but he was sure he could handle it. (He survived living in "Mr. Freeze's" orphanage for eight years, after all.)Maybe he could help other orphans too. Gah! There were just so many possibilities! Wally could tell he was getting ahead of himself, but he couldn't stop. In just one hour, his whole life could change.

"Yeesh, would you calm down? You're practically skipping," chuckled Grayson from behind him.

"Sorry," Wally grinned nervously, trying to control his bouncing feet. "First time meeting royalty or my possible family. I'm a little overwhelmed."

"You're overwhelmed, the Allens are underwhelmed with the whole processe. Why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?" Richard sighed while Zatanna let loose a giggle. Wally looked over and saw Artemis merely roll her eyes at the comment.

"Is he always like this?" he asked her.

"About eight out of seven days a week, or so I've heard," Artemis replied.

"Oh, so I'm just a normal victim of this world play. I'm not special?" he asked playfully.

"You never know," she said offhandedly as they reached their box seats.

"Why, Artemis!" he exclaimed in mock disbelief, putting his unoccupied hand on his chest. "I'm shocked you would think I'm special. You do care!"

"I never said I cared, I said you're special. For example, you are e_special_ly annoying," Artemis returned snarkily, taking her seat.

"What is it with this word play tonight?" Wally sat down next to her. "Is this some sort of high class thing you two forgot to tell me?"

Zatanna said goodbye to Richard as he left to rejoin the Duke and Duchess before she sniffed at Wally's comment. "Don't be ridiculous. We're professionals. It's wit, plain and simple. But you might just want to practice it on your own."

He was going to reply with his own version of a witty comment before Artemis handed a pair of small binoculars to him, pointing to the Duke and Duchess' box. "That's them," she said with an encouraging smile.

Wally eagerly looked through them and saw the middle aged couple. The blond Duke whispered something in his wife's ear, earning him a smile and stifled laugh as she wrapped her arm through his. Despite the pain they must've gone through at losing their family and searching for their nephew, they still seemed happy. But their story was visible in the way they held themselves, from the tired set of their shoulders to their smiles. Zatanna had told him that the couple had been one of the few lucky ones to marry for love, and it was obvious they still loved each other. They were also famous for their philanthropy and compassion for people, doing whatever they could to help others.

And although Wallace West was related by blood only to Iris, he was known to have a close connection with both of them. Artemis mentioned how Wallace always enjoyed showing off his experiments and projects to his uncle, or strolling through the town with his aunt.

Boy, how he hoped that was really him. It seemed familiar to him. And he wanted those connections again. He wanted it bad.

"Please let them remember me," Wally whispered desperately.

Then the music began and figures began dancing across the stage, capturing his attention or partly. The music was beautiful, the dancers talented, the story sort of cheesy with magic (he couldn't count how many arguments he and Zatanna got into about the existence of magic) and generally nice overall. But he couldn't stop worrying about the meeting. What if they didn't remember him? What if they remembered him but didn't like him? What if they laughed in his face? Because how could a poor nobody orphan possibly think he's the Grand Duke of Central? Plus Richard even admitted that they didn't want to see anyone anymore. This could go so very very bad. And he was so close to the finish line. He only hoped he didn't trip this time.

A gloved hand slipped into his. "Everything's going to be fine," whispered a familiar husky voice in his ear. He shot Artemis a confused look, wondering how she knew the extent of his nervousness. Was he hyperventilating?

Her pointed look at his lap filled with the shredded remains of the ballet's bill gave him the answer. _Oh_. Wally shot her a sheepish but thankful smile. _Right, calm. I can do that._ He tried to focus harder on what was happening on stage. Apparently the former servant girl was all dressed up at the ball and dancing with the prince. He guessed it must've felt nice, dressing up, going to a formal event, having fun, and accidentally impressing someone royal. How ironic. He hoped his evening went half as well as Cinderella's did before midnight. All too soon though, the girl was running away from the prince in her magical carriage and intermission was being called.

Artemis's comforting voice was in his ear and her hand in his again as she said "Come on, I guess it's time."

Wally felt his stomach drop but nodded anyway , following her out of the box. Zatanna gave him an encouraging smile and wink. Apparently she was going to watch from her seat in the box.

Artemis led him through the crowd while he anxiously rubbed his face. What was he doing? This is ridiculous. Maybe, he should get something to eat. Food made everything better. His stomach growled angrily at him for thinking that food would stay down at a time like this. Right, right. Maybe water or something. His mouth had suddenly gone dry. How could he talk to his possible aunt and uncle with a dry mouth? Water was definitely good. He quickly turned around with a huff.

"No no no no," Artemis called gently, grabbing his arm to turn him around. "Deep breaths. It'll be alright. After all, you're the Wall-man."

Wally laughed nervously at his old nickname. He had felt so confident at the palace when he had proudly stated it to the pretty blonde girl. Now the same blonde girl was supporting him when he felt weak at the knees. He had no idea how she could look so sure that everything was going to go well. Then again, Artemis always had been confident and brave no matter what they faced. After all, she was the one who decided to use dynamite to separate the train cars when it decided to malfunction. Not to mention she had followed him on to the boat's deck during the storm. When he awoke from the nightmare, he found himself in her reassuring arms. And normally he'd feel embarrassed about crying in front of a girl, but Artemis had made him feel better and hadn't teased him once about it. He liked knowing that she had his back in the end.

Thinking of how far they've come on this journey and borrowing some of her confidence, he followed her advice and gave her a smile. "Of course, I am. No matter what, I always will be."

But instead of the expected eye roll, she just gave him this look. He couldn't exactly read it, but she suddenly seemed nervous and intense at the same time. "Look, we've been through a lot together," she finally said.

Something about the way she said it made his stomach flutter with an entirely different kind of nervousness. Maybe he wasn't the only one who had noticed a shift in their relationship. "Go on…." He encouraged excitedly.

"And I just wanted to-" Artemis hesitated, seemingly unsure of herself.

"Yes?" Wally prodded, feeling an eager grin emerge.

"Well, I just wanted to..." And suddenly this unsure Artemis was gone, shut down and locked away. "wish you good luck. So good luck. I better go introduce you to Duke and Duchess Allens now." She quickly turned away from him and began walking to the Duke and Duchess' door.

That was it? No, he was sure there was something else there. That wasn't what she had wanted to tell him. Even if she wasn't going to be sincere, Wally decided he wasn't going to hold back. "Wait a minute, Artemis."

She looked at him again, that light back in her eye. "Yes?" she replied, intrigued.

"Listen, I know how hard you work to prove something to people. To prove to everyone that you can take on the world. To prove to Zatanna that you're not scared. To prove to me that you can help me find and reunite with my family. And to prove to yourself that you're independent and know what you're doing, that you don't need anyone. And even though, you're one of the strongest people I know, you don't have to face the world alone. You'll always have Zatanna and me. You don't have anything to prove, not to me," he stated, staring into her startled grey eyes. If Wally accomplished anything at all tonight, he wanted to make sure that Artemis knew she was special and cared about. "Okay?"

"Okay," she replied, gazing at him with thoughtful eyes and a soft smile. He allowed himself to just enjoy the moment of tranquility between them. As busy as they'd been the past days, they hadn't gotten much time to really talk. And then, reality seemed to strike her. "Right, I better go introduce you now." She confidently walked into the room and closed the door, but not before giving Wally a look that eased some of the pressure off his chest. She felt better.

_Great_,_ one goal down, one to go. _Suddenly he heard her clear voice proclaim, "Please tell the Duke and Duchess Allen that I have found their nephew Wallace West, the Grand Duke of Central. He's waiting to see them, just outside the door."

Said door apparently hadn't closed all the way. It may have been immature, but Wally was dying to know what they were going to say about him; he leaned towards the opening.

"I'm sorry, but the Duke and Duchess will see no one!" replied Richard Grayson, but Wally remained calm as he heard the voices move farther down the hall. It was just part of the plan. _Everything's going to work out_, he thought until he heard a disappointed, "I'll see you to the door."

That didn't sound like Richard continuing the plan.

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Artemis huffed at Richard as he gave her a dejected look once Barry refused to see Wally.

"It's not going to work," he mouthed and shook his head. "Maybe in a couple days I can convince them-" she stopped him with a glare. _We've come all this way. Wally's worked so hard, and he's actually the heir to the throne. Not some fraud. I'm not letting this go._

Artemis ignored Dick's motioning to the door and entered the Allens' box , moving to the side and front of them. "Your Majesties, I mean you no harm."

The Duchess, Iris, frowned at her while Barry gave her a tired look. They definitely looked a lot different now than how they looked at the beginning of the ballet. Gone were the smiles, and in their places expressions of frustration and hurt. _No wonder they look at me like that_. _They think I'm here to con them. They've probably heard similar speeches about fake Wallaces a million times. Granted, this may have started that way, but now it's so much more._ She sighed. _Better pull out the big guns._ "You see, my name's Artemis. I used to work in Central's palace as a servant girl."

"Well, _that's_ a new one. You're a creative girl, I'll give you that," replied Barry. He shook his head and stood up, giving Iris his arm.

"Now if you don't mind, we'd like to live out the rest of our lives in peace," Iris said while taking her husband's arm and beginning to leave. "I'm sorry, but we're done with yours and others' lies."

Artemis quickly shuffled and stood in front of the curtains leading to the box's hallway. "Wait, don't go please. It will only take a couple of minutes!" she pleaded.

"Listen, we know what you're after," the Duke said more sharply. "We've seen it a million times before. Men, and even some women like yourself who train boys and men in the royal ways."

They pushed passed her and Iris pulled on the rope dangling from the ceiling.

_Damn, I've only got a couple of minutes before the guards arrive._

Artemis tried again, "If you'll just listen-"

"Haven't _you_ been listening to _us_?" Barry returned. Artemis could tell they were both getting more and more aggravated. The Duchess' hands were clenched and Barry was running his fingers through his hair, something she noticed Wally did when he was frustrated. "We're tired of being tricked and conned by people like you!"

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"We're tired of being tricked and conned by people like you!" Wally heard clearly through the door's opening. That didn't sound like Richard's voice. It must've been the Duke; and from his tone, it didn't sound like things were going well. And what's with this whole "conned" business? He couldn't be talking to Artemis. Because she wouldn't. No, she was just helping him learn more about his past so he could answer those trick interview questions.

"I'm sure it's all very convincing," Barry spoke again. "But we really don't care how much you've fashioned him to look, sound, or act like Wallace. Because in the end it's never him!"

"But if Your Majesties would just-" Artemis replied and Wally could tell she was trying to keep her anger in check.

Now another feminine voice, probably Iris, said as if just having an epiphany, "Artemis… I knew I recognized that name. You're one of those con girls who was h-holding auditions for a fake Wallace!"

Wally grabbed the wall for support. _Holding auditions? So none of it was real? They were just using me as a pawn… If any other Wallace look alike had been around, they wouldn't have given me the time of day. _Heat spread his face and neck. _They didn't care about me. It was just to trick the Duke and Duchess, these poor people who were just looking for their lost nephew. And I….. I ended up being a part of it. This isn't what I wanted. Artemis and Zatanna tricked me. Artemis lied right to my face… Now it's so obvious, all the training, Artemis looking at me sometimes too long and the Allens refusing to see me. They played me like an idiot. How could I have been so stupid? _With his other hand, Wally grabbed angrily at his fiery hair, not caring about the mess he made. But he knew the reason: he had trusted Artemis, fallen for her even. And it had gotten him nowhere.

"But we've come all the way from Gotham!" Artemis continued arguing. He was half tempted to barge in and get her to stop, but he couldn't make himself move from his spot. It was too much to take in all at once.

"And others have come all the way from Happy Harbor!" the Duchess replied angrily. "That doesn't justify-"

"No! Ugh, that's not the point!" Artemis tried again.

"How much are you willing to hurt people like this just for money?" yelled the Duke. "You've gotten your answer, now go!"

_It was for money? Something as silly and superficial as that_? He knew Artemis and Zatanna were low on money, but were they really desperate enough to trick him and ship him off to a family of strangers? Wally's hands turned into fists. He couldn't believe it! He trusted Artemis and Zatanna. He trusted that they would look out for him. He thought Artemis….cared about him at least. Turns out he wasn't worth caring much about unless it came with money. It was just like the orphanage, useful only when people could get money because of him, after that they just turned him away for someone else to deal with.

A pair of tall muscular men, one with dark skin and light hair, and the other with opposite features shouldered through the door, ignoring Wally standing beside it.

"Thank goodness you're here Kaldur and Conner. Remove this young lady from my sight," Barry commanded over Grayson and Artemis' protests.

"No!" Artemis shouted, obviously struggling against the body guards. "He's the Grand Duke, Wallace West. If you only looked at him, you'd see!"

In moments Artemis was thrown on the ground at Wally's feet. His expression must've told her that he had heard everything.

"Wally-" she tried softly.

But he wasn't hearing it. "It was all a lie, wasn't it?" he asked, his voice low with anger and distrust. Wally already knew the answer to that. He just wanted to see if she would lie to his face again.

Artemis quickly stood up, trying to protest his accusations, but he couldn't stop.

You used me? I was just a con to get her money? And I fell for it!" A pathetic laugh bubbled out of him, "No wonder you think I'm an idiot!"

"No!" Artemis refused. Wally shook his head in disgust and turned away. He didn't want to hear anymore.

"Okay, it may have started off like that," Artemis admitted hurriedly_. So is that a half-truth or a blatant lie?_ Now he couldn't tell the difference. And honestly, he was so tired of the lies; plus his suit was suffocating, his head was pounding, and his chest hurt and everything was just making him too tired to even try to sort out the truth from the lies, if there were any truths at all.

"But now it's all different," she continued, following him as he walked away. "Because the thing is, you're the real Wallace West, Wally. That's why you can't give up! I-I was the girl-"

"Will you stop!" he cried and turned on her, seeing her shocked and sad expression. _Why did she get to be sad? She was the liar, wasn't she? Was she sad that he finally knew of her plot? Sad that he obviously wasn't going to through with it anymore? _"No, I'm not going to listen! I'm done listening! From the very beginning, you _lied_ to me! And I didn't just believe you, I actually-"_fell for you…_ No he couldn't say that, wouldn't say that. Because he didn't feel that way anymore. Too many other feelings were battling for dominance. He groaned in exasperation. It was too much right now, but one thing pushed its way to the forefront of his mouth. "Nice going Artemis, what you've finally proven to me is that you're selfish and a liar. Now just leave me alone."

Artemis didn't say anything, just sighed in resignation; her raised hand dropping to her side. _Not even an apology._ Well that was fine with him, he didn't want her to have to lie about that either. With that, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the theater. Because he was done. Done wearing itchy suits, done memorizing the names of royals, done learning stupid dances, done lying to himself that he could have a better life. But most of all he was done with what got him started on this crazy track in the first place: Wally West was done listening to Artemis Crock.

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	3. Together in Central

The Lost West Prince: Chapter 3

So here is the next chapter! Sorry it took so long, I had such a hard time feeling motivated. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be updated, so sorry. But anyway, this picks up right after Wally finds out about the con and fought with Artemis.

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Wally's words had felt like a slap to the face. Not that she hadn't deserved his reaction. Hell, maybe she should've seen it coming. He may have been naive in some respects and come up with dumb ideas, but Wally West wasn't stupid. He had put his trust in her, and she had just planned to throw him into a royal family while she and Z split with the money before the Allens found out about the possible fake nephew. She hadn't cared much about what the family dynamic would be between them, not that she really had good insight on what a normal family was like. Even though she now knew he was the real heir, she hadn't before and would have just gone along with the selfish plan and dumped him.

Then that dorky Wally had grown on her. He had even less than she did when they first met, just sass, hope, and some little chain he kept around his wrist.

And despite clashing with Artemis' own stubbornness and snark combined with Zatanna's mischievousness and charisma they had all gotten along in the end, became friends and basically the closest thing Artemis had to a real family in a long time. And in a just a few short minutes it was gone.

But Artemis wasn't a quitter, and if someone deserved to be surrounded by people who loved him it was Wally; she wasn't going to let this opportunity run away from him.

That's why when Zatanna pulled Artemis away from the scene her confrontation with Wally had created, she recognized the look in her eye. Zatanna hadn't wasted time asking what had happened, since it wasn't hard to guess, but instead asked the more important question: "What are we going to do about it?"

Wally had to be reunited with his family. The Duke and Duchess hadn't even looked at him before they threw her out. The likeness between Wally and Iris was obvious. She just had to get the Allens separated from their big strong (and albeit attractive) bodyguardsand talk to them, to convince them, but that wasn't going to happen in the ballet or at the palace. And that meant taking them away the royal walls they were putting up, physically and emotionally. That's when she figured it out. It was crazy, might get her thrown in jail or killed, but she wouldn't be Artemis if she didn't take the risk. Artemis met her partner straight in her crystal blue eyes and stated, "It's simple. I'm going to kidnap the Duke and Duchess of Central."

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While it wasn't their most thorough plan, it would simply have to do. After hunting down a few fireworks, making a phone call, and getting some more help from Richard Grayson (Thank God he had a crush on Z) they were ready to go.

Artemis peeked around the pillar she was standing behind to get a quick glimpse at the red head waiting patiently at the top of stairs as one of the body guards, Conner, drove to the side of the theater with the Allens' car. According to Dick, this guard had a soft spot for the sweet ballerina, Megan, which was apparently returned. Artemis had no idea what Dick said to convince her to come and distract Conner, but she figured it had something to do with setting them up a nice date from the girl's fashionable dress. As soon as Conner pulled up, Megan quickly hurried down the stairs, but stumbled half way down with a shriek that caught Conner's attention. It didn't take long for the muscular man to jump out of the car and run to where she sat on the ground, clutching her ankle. One guard down, one to go.

Now the stoic Kaldur was going to be a little harder to distract, but Dick had let them in on the guard's fear of fire which the girls decided to test with fireworks. As the Duke and Duchess Allens made their exit from the theater, Kaldur worked to keep other attendees from getting too close to the royal couple. Using the crowd and the guard's distractions, Zatanna (and most likely Dick) set off fireworks from the other side of the theater, much to the crowd and the Allens' delight, however not to Kaldur. Whether it was because of his fear or suspicions about the sudden fireworks, the body guard quickly ushered the Duke and Duchess to the car away from the increasingly excited crowd and falling sparks.

What Kaldur probably didn't expect though was Conner to be missing from the car,, leaving Artemis the perfect opportunity to climb into the driver's seat a split second after the royals. With a quick lurch, Artemis and the Allens were barreling down the street away from the theater and stunned Kaldur. Duchess Iris made a sound to yell at the driver before the blonde hair that most certainly wasn't Conner's registered in her brain.

However the Duke was faster, "You! Are you crazy!?" He shouted. "Stop this car, right now!"

"No," Artemis practically growled back. "I'm not stopping this car, not until you see Wally." Artemis sped through the streets, ignoring the honks and angry shouts as she took the quickest route back to the hotel. A glance in the rearview mirror showed the Duke about to grab her, but Artemis grabbed his fingers with her right hand and pushed them back towards his body, a clear but silent threat of broken fingers. "I wouldn't try that again," she warned, meeting their angry eyes in the rearview mirror.

Finally after a few more tense couple of minutes, they pulled up in front of the hotel. Artemis swiftly got out of the driver's seat and yanked open the door to find the couple staring daggers at her but not getting ready to move. She pointed a finger at the two, feeling like an adult scolding stubborn little kids. "You _have_ to _talk_ to _him_," she said vehemently. "Just _look_ at him! He looks just like her!" she said, gesturing to the elegant red head. However, Artemis could tell that she wasn't getting anywhere. Kidnapping and threatening to snap the Duke's fingers probably did nothing to soften them to her cause.

_Time for the big guns._ She slowly reached into her purse and pulled out the chainless, broken pocket watch, constantly sixteen minutes ahead with no way to adjust the time. Duchess Iris gasped quietly and grabbed her husband's hand. "Barry, is that-"

He merely nodded, just as shocked as she is. The Duke gingerly picked up the watch from Artemis's hands, running his fingers over the intricate gold and ruby design with a lightning bolt etched into the middle.

"Look," Artemis began trying to calm down, "I know you've been hurt. But it's possible that he's been running around just as lost and alone as you have, trying to find his family."

Duke Allen shook his head with a slight smile before looking at her. "You're really something aren't you? A regular ole' spitfire."

Artemis looked at both of their curious, slightly hopeful faces. One more couldn't hurt, right? After this they couldn't give it up, she figured. There were too many coincidences, and despite all the pain they went through they probably did not actually want their search to end with nothing. They wanted to find their nephew, and Artemis was glad she didn't let them get away. She gave the couple a smirk. "I'm probably about as stubborn as you two."

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Wally ran recklessly through the room, almost tripping over some fallen clothes in his haste. He was half tempted to throw them out the window, but remembered they were from Dick; and as far as Wally could tell, Dick wasn't in on the plot to swindle from the Duke and Duchess. Plus there was something familiar about Dick's all knowing smirk and laugh that made Wally trust him (with big things at least, he wouldn't put it past him to pull some kind of prank most of the time). Irrational as that familiarity may be after spending a day with the guy, Wally didn't care. After all the poor guy probably got tricked by those two con artists too.

A con.

Wally slowed down and rubbed his hands over his face, frustrated by how the situation turned out. It's funny, Wally had always thought he was smarter than acting like a sucker and falling for a trick like that. Granted it didn't help that it was at the hands of two beautiful girls, but still.

He trusted them, hell he traveled thousands of miles across the continent with them. How stupid could he be for thinking that meant something! And it wasn't all just coaching him to be Wallace West. They had survived dangerous situations involving trains, boats, and nightmares, danced a bit, had fun. Yeah, he and Artemis got into fights whenever he did something stupid, and she'd try to set him straight, or he would challenge her knowledge of the West family if something seemed ridiculous or they did something that was a little too sketchy for his tastes. But he enjoyed it, getting to know both Artemis and Zatanna. In fact, after that incident on the boat, he felt something for Artemis that was more than "hey you think I'm the lost prince and you want to reunite me with my family in Central City so lets go on a cross country trek to do it" kind of friendship. And him being the scientist he was, had played with the idea of experimenting what would happen if he had kissed her that day on the boat when everything else except for her was a dizzy blur. And if that seagull hadn't chosen that moment to squawk she might have too.

Wally let loose a sigh and began to finish packing the rest of his belongings. That she would just trick him like that, dump him on some heartbroken couple who had lost their family, and then run away to spend the reward money hurt. It hurt a . He knew she saw the world in gray, but he believed she saw it as a lighter shade of gray, not the darker pessimistic shade she thought she was a part of. But for once, he guesses, she was right and he was wrong. That would probably be the only time he'd admit it. Which was fine with him. He was done. With her. With Zatanna. With the royal lessons. Everything. It was time to find his real family.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Wally groaned before shouting angrily, "Go away, Artemis." Maybe this time he was the Queen of England.

The door only opened in response. _Damn it Artemis_, he thought and turned toward the door to give her a piece of his mind only to have his jaw go slack. Standing in front of him were the famous Duke and Duchess Allen. _Great_ he mentally drawled. Now, not only do they think he's a conman impersonating their long lost nephew, but now he's a rude kid trying to make a quick getaway.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I thought you were-"

"I can take a good guess on who you thought we were," Duchess Iris replied with a knowing smile. "But what we want to know, is who are _you_?"

Wally sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck but didn't look away from them. Now that he was standing in front of them, the aftermath of their arguments with Artemis in the back of their minds, his idea did seem a little far fetched. An orphan boy thinking his only family was the Duke and Duchess of Central City? That was crazy, right? "Well I was kinda hoping you could tell me."

The couple in question exchanged a glance before Duke Barry took a step forward, circling Wally and eyeing him carefully. "Listen, we've been at this for years and we're really tired of being tricked and-"

"I'm not trying to trick you!" Wally interrupted before he could stop himself. "I'm just trying to find my family. See where I belong. And maybe it is your family and if it's not then I'm where I need to be anyway so I'm sorry for taking time away from your search. I figured that it was a possibility I was your nephew, so I had to test my hypothesis, see this through." However, from the unchanging looks on his face, Wally could tell he hadn't convinced the Duke and despite his similar appearance to the Duchess and his nickname, he didn't see any other connections.

"You're a good actor," the Duke stated. "Best we've seen yet, actually. But I think we've seen enough."  
Wally almost snorted, wanting to tell them that he was the worst liar ever. However, the Duchess' expression said she might possibly believe him. He almost asked her, but felt a hand clap on his soldier and was hit with a smell of chemicals.

"Sorry, kid." The voice said in his ear as the Duke went to rejoin his wife.

"Wait, is that-"Wally sniffed the air again. "Hydrochloric acid?" he asked surprised. Why in the world would the Duke of Central smell like chemicals? In the back of head, something began to stir through the mist of forgotten memories.

The Duchess Iris smirked as her husband gave a sheepish chuckle. "Actually yes, before the ball I was working last minute on an experiment and spilled some HCl on my jacket. Luckily it didn't burn me but I didn't have time to change my jacket," he answered, poking at a small hole on the lower front of his red jacket. "Apparently the smell still lingers, but most people, except for my wife," he gave a pointed look, "are too nice to say anything."

Wally laughed at the image and thinking of his own failed experiments at the orphanage before he had been banned from the kitchen, shed, and anywhere else chemicals or "dangerous materials" could be found.

Experiments. Chemicals. What was it? Why was it so familiar? The memory was there in his mind, but hazy, as if he were wearing foggy glasses that were slowly becoming clearer_._

_ A blonde man working on a desk by a window. Thunder growling nearby. A smell of chemicals in the air, one especially strong. HCl, he realized. He was carrying it and running towards the blonde man. Pain rushed through his leg as he tripped over a chair, sending him flying to his uncle's feet and the chemical to the desk. _

_ Everything happened so quickly. Lightning flashed right outside the window, illuminating the HCl bottle as it flew towards the bubbling chemicals. _

_The man wasted no time snatching Wally up and rushing towards the other side of the room as the chemicals exploded. Luckily the explosion hadn't reached them, and Wally peeked out from under the man's arm, watching as a weird sludge of chemicals dripped from the desk and onto the floor with a sizzle. That was going to leave a smell and permanent scorch marks and ohhhhh Mom's gonna be so mad! He giggled at the idea, looking up into the man's face. A man with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes lined with crinkles from smiling too much but were filled with concerned as he asked Wally if he was alright. Eyes that currently had some crinkles were watching Wally now. His uncle. He realized with a start. Uncle Barry. _

Barry's voice brought him back to reality. "You know most people wouldn't recognize that chemical by name. I'm surpr-"

"You spilled some once!" Wally said hurriedly, desperate to make sure it wasn't an illusion or daydream that felt way too real. "Or I mean _I_ spilled it. You were working on an experiment then too and I brought you some HCl, but I tripped and it fell all over your experiment and I'm really sorry about that! There was lightning and then the chemicals exploded and burned through the carpet but you pulled me away from the mess!"

A dumbstruck Barry and Iris looked at him, Barry couldn't even stand on his feet as he dropped onto the bed. Now a woman with Wally and Iris' green eyes and bright red hair flashed through his mind's eye.

"Mom was soooo angry," he said with a grin. "It almost burnt a hole straight through the floor! She said you had to keep your experiments at your own home, in Central." Wally swore he could hear the mental click as that piece fit into the increasingly completed puzzle inside his mind. Central. That's where they were, in his uncle's home city, the home of the Duck and Duchess, the city all three of them were in. As Wally ran his fingers through his as more memories came running through, further proving the growing realization. Visiting science fairs with his uncle. Shopping in the streets with his aunt. Playing hide and seek with servants in the palaces in Central and Keystone. Central. The city he and his family were to be reunited. Where he would find his home. Could it really be?

He felt the chain on his wrist catch in his hair and pulled it out slightly embarrassed. _Smooth Wall-man_.

"What's that?" Barry inquired, gesturing toward the chain. Wally's face warmed a bit more but he ran his fingers over the bracelet and its attached key. "This? Well I've always had it, for as long as I can remember. I've never been able to figure it out what it unlocks though."

"Can I see it?" Barry asked earnestly and the teen gently handed it to him.

Barry held it to the light, eyes widening as he came to what Wally could only guess were similar conclusions to his own. It was hard to deny his similar features to Iris as she came to put a hand on her husband's shoulders, his and Barry's mutual love for experiments, his memories, the chain, trying to reunite with their family in Central, and "The pocket watch," he said breathlessly as Barry pulled the familiar device from his pocket.

"It was our secret, Barry, Wally's, and mine." Wally almost jumped at the use of his name by the Duchess, but it felt natural, as if she had said it many times before. Barry carefully placed the watch into Wally's hands which quickly found the opening on the bottom.

"It-it was to help me tell time and figure out when I could see you guys again!" He recalled excitedly, flipping it open to see the watch sixteen minutes fast. "But the trick is that it's not on time unless you have-"the final realization hit him as if he had run head first into a door, "the key and chain!"

Wally looked up as Barry handed him the key with a similarly excited smile, while Wally it placed into the watch and twisted, righting the time and connecting to pocket watch to the chain. Wally smiled like a little kid again, running his fingers over the face of what had been his favorite thing in the whole world as a kid. It wasn't a toy, which he had always appreciated because it meant Barry didn't treat him as a stupid little kid. He liked that it was special too, had its own hidden trick in it. How ridiculous that he could have ever forgotten this watch in the first place.

Wally looked into the eyes of his aunt and uncle, filled with complete joy and some tears. He was pretty sure his eyes weren't very dry either. He did it. After all this time, a trip full of up and down emotions, confusing déjà vu feelings, and almost dying he had finally found his family. He found where he belonged. And as he embraced Barry and Iris for the first time in years, he was ecstatic and relieved, but something still felt a bit off. He had everything he wanted, so why did it feel like he was missing something to completely make it home?

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Outside the hotel, a figure stood on the sidewalk staring up at the light of a room on the fourth floor. It had been a half hour since she had seen the Duke and Duchess to the hotel's elevator; so far the royal pair hadn't left the building and neither had Wally, meaning it had all gone according to her new plan. He did it. He found his family and had everything he ever wanted. Artemis allowed herself a small smile at that. Her part was done. And with that she turned to fade back into the shadows she's always known but not necessarily wanted, and to walk out of his life forever.

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A/N: So sorry I'm sure the "Duke & Duchess" word repeated a lot was annoying, but I was trying to portray that until Wally started to think that they could really be his family he only saw them as royalty at first and after wards they were his family. Thanks for reading!


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